Live The Moment

Tennis Canada 2015 ANNUAL REPORT

A NEW TENNIS CANADA

2015 was a milestone year for Tennis Canada. Celebrating its 125th anniversary and riding the high of unprecedented success at all levels of the game, the organization itself emerged with a stronger national presence. A new logo, website, national campaign and content strategy was born in early 2015 reflecting the fundamental values and principles associated with how tennis is played in Canada; grace, honour passion, discipline, multigenerational, respect, perseverance and family.

These values and principles took into account feedback from fans across Canada through a campaign which asked fans to share what the sport meant to them. From a wide range of thoughtful responses, these core brand values and principles were chosen to reflect the new Tennis Canada.

LIVE THE MOMENT

Launching alongside the re-brand was a new fully integrated national campaign called “Live The Moment/#LivetheMoment”, which connects current and new tennis audiences with the emotions of key moments in tennis – the human moments.

Fighting back from a set down, making an impossible down-the-line winner, picking up a racquet for the first time, laughing with friends while playing together at your local court, or watching your favourite player win Wimbledon – these are all examples of moments that make tennis special and inspiring.

Canada’s top two tennis stars, Milos Raonic and Eugenie Bouchard, also got involved in the Live The Moment campaign to help inspire fans across the country to follow their tennis dreams.

The vision and mission of Tennis Canada remains the same – to become a world-leading tennis nation and to lead the growth of tennis in Canada. With the support of a stronger new brand, the organization hopes to become more accessible and interactive with all Canadians, and truly engage with everyone who has helped make tennis such a positive sport in Canada so it can grow even further.

WELCOME MESSAGE

Tennis Canada and tennis in Canada took big strides forward in 2015, with significant accomplishments both on and off the court. If all of the achievements of the past 12 months were summed into one theme, that theme would be “building the future”.

And, the future has never been brighter for Canadian tennis. The on-court results of Canadian juniors dominated the headlines with outstanding showings from the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime, Bianca Andreescu, Denis Shapovalov and Charlotte Robillard-Millette. These tremendous results only contribute to the excitement generated by the already burgeoning success of Milos Raonic, Eugenie Bouchard, Vasek Pospisil and the many other Canadian players that represent us so admirably on the world stage.

The success of our high performance players has inspired the nation. The findings from our annual participation survey showed that more and more players under the age of 12 are picking up a racquet for the first time, ensuring our talent pool is steadily filled. Tennis is also one of the country’s fastest-growing sports as Canada boasts the second-highest new player rate in the world. This, paired with the consistent increase in fan interest, illustrates that tennis is in an extremely healthy position within the Canadian sports landscape.

Contributing to the growth of our sport, a national campaign was launched. Tennis Canada drew from the core principles of the sport and our national culture, and unveiled a new logo, website and brand identity, strengthening the ties between Canadians and Tennis Canada, the leader and facilitator of tennis across the country. With this refreshed look, feel and attitude came an opportunity to reach out to our provincial partners to offer more robust resources. As a result of this and other efforts, relationships with our provincial tennis associations have never been better.

Rogers Cup presented by National Bank and facility advocacy also got a boost in 2015. A landmark partnership deal was reached to extend our relationship with Rogers and secure the future of our two flagship events in Toronto and Montreal, and a significant investment has been committed to improve the two facilities that house the tournaments moving forward. Meanwhile, a new facility is nearing completion that will give us another training hub in the Western region of the country.

These achievements just scratch the surface of all that was accomplished in 2015. We hope that you enjoy reading and experiencing this report, which details the many successes. With the organization embarking on a new five-year strategy, the foundation built in 2015 will propel our sport; tennis will flourish, grow and reach even greater heights.

John LeBoutillier

Chair of the Board

Kelly D. Murumets

President and Chief Executive Officer

2015 KEY MOMENTS
IN CANADIAN TENNIS

Milos Raonic plays some of the best tennis of his career while competing in his first final of 2015, falling to Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-4 in the Brisbane championship match. It was his 14th career final and en route he also ousted rival Kei Nishikori in the semifinals.

Jan 17

Daniel Nestor makes it 22 straight years in which he has won at least one ATP World Tour title as he and new partner Rohan Bopanna take the crown in Sydney. It is Nestor’s second consecutive triumph in Sydney.

Vasek Pospisil clinches the fifth and deciding rubber to give Canada the 3-2 victory over Japan in Davis Cup World Group first-round action at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver. Canada advances into the quarter-finals for the second time in its history.

Mar 8

Gabriela Dabrowski and partner Alicja Rosolska clinch the Monterrey doubles crown by ousting Arina and Anastasia Rodionova in the final. It is Dabrowski’s second career WTA trophy.

Mar 16

At the age of 14, Felix Auger-Aliassime beats world No. 334 Fritz Wolmarans to qualify for the $50,000 Drummondville Challenger in Quebec, becoming the youngest person to make a Challenger main draw and also the first player born in the 2000s to have an ATP ranking.

Mar 20

Raonic advances into the semifinals at Indian Wells by toppling Rafael Nadal for the first time in his career.

Mar 22

Pospisil wins his first Masters 1000 doubles title as he and Jack Sock claim the crown in Indian Wells. They would continue their run by making the Miami final the following week as well.

Adil Shamasdin wins his second career ATP World Tour doubles title at Casablanca alongside partner Rameez Junaid of Australia. They defeated No. 1 seeds Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea.

Apr 12

Denis Shapovalov and Vanessa Wong are crowned champions at the U18 Rogers Indoor National Championships at Mayfair Parkway in Markham, Ont.

Apr 18

Francoise Abanda picks up the biggest win of her career by defeating world No. 33 Irina-Camelia Begu to give Canada a 1-0 lead over Romania in the Fed Cup World Group play-offs at Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal. Canada would ultimately lose the tie 3-2.

Pospisil defeats world No. 24 Viktor Troicki to advance into his first career Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon. He needed three five-setters to accomplish the feat before ultimately falling to Andy Murray.

Jul 15

Dabrowski and Philip Bester claim the silver medal in mixed doubles at the TO2015 Pan Am Games at Aviva Centre.

Jul 16

Dabrowski adds to her medal haul at the TO2015 Pan Am Games by teaming with Carol Zhao to win the gold medal in women’s doubles. This is Canada’s first-ever multiple medal Pan Am Games.

Jul 19

Canada, missing Raonic and Pospisil, falls to Belgium 5-0 in the Davis Cup World Group quarter-finals is Ostend, Belgium.

Jul 23

Auger-Aliassime defeats world No. 205 Darian King to advance into the $100K Granby Challenger quarter-finals, all still at the age of 14.

Bianca Andreescu, at the age of 15 and playing in her first-ever pro tournament, advances into the final of the $25K Gatineau Challenger in Quebec.

Aug 13

Philippe Bedard and Joel Dembe make history by capturing bronze at the TO2015 Parapan American Games at the University of Toronto Scarborough Tennis Centre, winning Canada’s first-ever wheelchair tennis medal.

Aug 16

The 2016 Rogers Cup presented by National Bank champions are crowned, with 18-year-old rising star Belinda Bencic claiming the title in Toronto and Andy Murray winning his third Canadian title in Montreal.

Aug 19

Shapovalov earns the sweep at the U18 junior national championships this year, beating Auger-Aliassime in the outdoor final to add to his indoor trophy from earlier in the season. On the girls’ side, Andreescu wins her first national title by ousting Wong.

Aug 23

A week after making the Rogers Cup final, Nestor claims the Masters 1000 crown in Cincinnati alongside Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Aug 29

Auger-Aliassime wins his first ITF Grade 1 tournament at College Park, Maryland, beating Shapovalov in an all-Canadian final.

Andreescu defeats fellow Canadian Robillard-Millette to win the Grade 1 tournament in Repentigny, Quebec for her biggest title of her career so far. Auger-Aliassime finishes as runner-up.

Sep 13

Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov win the Junior US Open doubles title, the first all-Canadian pair to win a major in 25 years.

Sep 19

Frank Dancevic clinches the title at the Tevlin Futures in Toronto for his third straight ITF Pro Circuit title, extending his win streak to 15 matches. He ultimately wins 19 in a row before falling in the Mayfair Futures final the next week.

Sep 25

Tennis Canada board member Jack Graham is re-elected to the Board of Directors for the International Tennis Federation. He has been a member since 2009, the only Canadian to ever hold a seat on the ITF Board.

Sep 27

Raonic captures his eighth career ATP World Tour title at St. Petersburg, to make it five straight years in which he has won at least one trophy.

Rosemarie Asch completes her sweep of the ITF Super Seniors World Championships, winning three gold medals in the over-85 age category – women’s singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Her mixed crown came alongside fellow Canadian Lorne Main.

Oct 4

Canada makes history by winning its first-ever Junior Davis Cup title in Madrid. Featuring Auger-Aliassime, Shapovalov, Benjamin Sigouin and team captain Oded Jacob, Canada ousts Germany 2-1 in the final. On the girls’ side, the Canadian team –Andreescu, Robillard-Millette, Wong, and captain Ralph Platz – beat Russia 3-0 to claim the bronze medal. Canada is the only country with both teams to finish on the podium.

Oct 11

Pospisil and Jack Sock capture the title in Beijing, beating Nestor and Roger-Vasselin in the final. It is Pospisil’s fifth career doubles trophy.

Oct 25

Champions are crowned at the Birmingham National Wheelchair Tennis Championships in Vancouver. Philippe Bedard wins his third straight men’s title, Rob Shaw claims his first national quad crown, and Maude Jacques captures her maiden women’s trophy.

Auger-Aliassime wins his second Grade 1 event of the season, claiming the prestigious Eddie Herr International Championships in Florida and becoming the youngest player ever to win the U18 title.

Dec 13

Andreescu captures the Orange Bowl crown in Florida, becoming just the third Canadian in history to win the prestigious title. This comes on the heels of her winning the U16 Orange Bowl trophy last year.

2015 by the numbers

A Canadian reached world No. 4 for the first time ever in singles, as Milos Raonic hit a new career-high in May

Tennis Canada partnered with 14 Boys and Girls Clubs in Ontario and Quebec

During Rogers Cup/Coupe Rogers, clicks to the website from Facebook increased by 626% and by 45% from Twitter, with followers growing 31% and 29% respectively.

More than 14,000 kids under 12 were introduced to tennis through the Building Tennis Communities programs

85-year-old Rosemarie Asch won three gold medals at the super seniors world championships

The corporate partnerships team worked with over 40 sponsors for Rogers Cup between Toronto and Montreal

Frequent play among children under 12 was up between 15-25%

40 new wheelchair tennis instructors were certified

The Birmingham National Wheelchair Tennis Championships featured 32 participants from six provinces

Carol Zhao started the 2015-16 season ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division I

Over 330,000 visitors took in the action at Rogers Cup and Coupe Rogers this year

Three out of the four Canadian international junior teams finished in the Top 4 of their respective competitions (U16 boys – first; U16 girls – third; and boys U14 – fourth)

Six players aged 16 and under were ranked in the Top 50 ITF U18 world rankings in December (Bianca Andreescu, Charlotte Robillard-Millette, Katherine Sebov, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov, and Benjamin Sigouin)

Rogers Cup and Coupe Rogers were first-class event experiences, with Toronto seeing 91% cent of guests rating it a 4 or 5 on a five-point scale and 94% in Montreal

Online engagement improved by 289% on the Tennis Canada websites and social channels

$4,000,000 was raised for tennis in Canada through Tennis Matters

75% of officials at Coupe Rogers and Rogers Cup in Montreal and Toronto were Canadian

Canada had the second-highest new player rate in the world at 17.9%, behind only South Africa

Canada was home to 350 officials across the country

26 Canadian universities competed for the national championships

57% of Canadians showed an interest in tennis

The Tennis Professionals Association for coaches across Canada hit over 3,000 members, a new high

The annual cost for tennis participation was $655, cheaper than soccer, hockey, baseball, and golf

In May, Canada had four Top 10 players at the same for the first time in history – Bouchard and Raonic in singles, and Pospisil and Nestor in doubles

Our Mission

To lead the
growth of tennis
in Canada

LOVE – TENNIS BLOSSOMING AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL

Tennis participation and interest have continued to rise over the past several years, and that starts at the grassroots level of tennis – in local communities, schools, and parks.

Tennis programs are delivered throughout Canada by many partners of Tennis Canada, including Building Tennis Communities, Boys and Girls Club of Canada, and Tennis for Schools. Combined, these programs saw over 70,000 children get involved in the sport in 2015.

Our BTC champions proved once again how valuable they are to the sport in Canada, offering all kinds of programming for underserved populations and impacting their communities in a positive way. Over 200 events took place in communities across Canada inviting residents to try tennis, showing it as an accessible and affordable sport. More than 14,000 kids under the age of 12 were familiarized with tennis in 2015 through BTCs.

Tennis Canada also trained coaches and volunteers with the Boys and Girls Club of Canada to run league play programs for their members, donating more than $7,000 in equipment. This partnership with 14 clubs in Ontario and Quebec saw over 750 kids from underserved communities exposed to team tennis.

And finally, at the school level, a partnership between Tennis Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada proved fruitful once again. Tennis for Schools, which provides a step-by-step and easy-to-follow lesson plan for teachers, was present in 606 schools in Canada and reached 57,543 kids.

Team Tennis and Rogers Rookie Tour are two more important community programs held throughout the country. A major priority for the community department is Team Tennis, which provides a team, league setting for the sport and allows participants to play against those of a similar skill level. More than 2,400 kids in Canada were enrolled in Team Tennis in 2015, with more than 25 locations.

Also in 2015, 165 Rogers Rookie Tour events – designed to bridge the gap between entry-level tennis and the provincial junior circuit – were held throughout the nation, with a total of 4,436 kids participating in the tournaments.

At the university level, tennis is progressively becoming an excellent option for players to maintain their involvement in the sport. Over 400 student-athletes played tennis in Canada in 2015, with 26 universities competing for the national championships. Showing that the depth of talent is increasing, two first-time champions were crowned at Aviva Centre this year, with Laval University taking the men’s crown and York University winning the women’s title.

At the NCAA level, 234 Canadians played tennis for schools in the U.S. in 2015, with many standouts. This includes Carol Zhao, who finished as runner-up in the NCAA Division I national championships and began the fall of 2015 as the No. 1-ranked player in the country, and Erin Routliffe, who won her second straight NCAA doubles championship with American partner Maya Jansen.

15 – BUILDING FOR SUCCESS FROM
THE FOUNDATION UP

High quality coaching remains a priority for growing the sport of tennis across Canada, and in 2015 more efforts were made to increase the number of certified coaches. Throughout the year, 38 certification courses were provided in Canada with 395 coaches being certified at various levels.

Coaches across Canada are continuing to work on becoming better as well, with over 800 coaches attending 20 professional development conferences and seminars aimed at improving their skills.

In 2015, nine clubs received top TDC (Tennis Development Centre) designations for their achievements in developing provincial, national, collegiate and international players. They are:

The Tennis Professionals Association (TPA) continued to be a leading resource for coaches across the country. In 2015, the TPA launched its new brand at its annual national coaching conference, which was one of its most successful events yet. Special guest Judy Murray visited both Toronto and Montreal as part of the conference, where she shared her valuable experience, wisdom, and techniques with the over 200 coaches in attendance.

Later in the year, membership hit another record with 3,000 coaches now part of the TPA. The organization continues to be recognized as the destination for coaches, with over 70 year-round facilities in Canada now employing only fully-certified and active TPA members.

Coaches need facilities in which to work and as Canadians identify a lack of year-round, indoor facilities as a top barrier to the sport, Tennis Canada and its provincial tennis association partners continue to put a strong focus on facility advocacy across the country. Support letters, resource guides and advocacy support has helped many partners in Canada establish traction and build plans to establish more year-round courts and facilities.

In addition, Calgary, Halifax and the Greater Vancouver Area have been identified as important markets to be home to regional tennis development centres, which would complement the centres already existing at Aviva Centre and Uniprix Stadium in Toronto and Montreal. Progress is being made in all three markets with the help of local advocates, partners and the PTAs.

Calgary remains the first market on target for a new facility. After reaching a land agreement with the City of Calgary in 2013, all remaining funds were raised for the construction of a regional tennis development centre which will house eight indoor hard courts. Under the leadership of Tennis Canada Board member Ron Ghitter and Tennis Alberta president Glen Scott, the new Osten & Victor Alberta Tennis Centre is scheduled to open in spring of 2016.

In Toronto and Montreal, several unique ancillary events were hosted in 2015 to bring in additional revenue. Uniprix Stadium played host to several gala events involving the Grands Ballet, the Montreal Heart Institute, the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal as well as Tennis Canada’s first fundraising evening. At Aviva Centre, the partnership with York University continues to be strong as they hold their exams and convocation in the Centre of Excellence, plus the inaugural York University New Student Orientation Ceremony. Last year also included the successful hosting and management of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games tennis competition with Canada winning two medals.

As the number of events in Canada continue to rise, the need for officiating does too. The country is becoming home to top-tier talent, with three Canadians certified as international officials by the ATP/WTA/ITF joint certification program in 2015 (one chair umpire, one referee, and one chief umpire) as well as one white badge referee. There is now a total of 26 Canadian officials with ATP/WTA/ITF certifications.

Throughout the year, Tennis Canada provided staffing for over 70 events at the national, international, and professional level including the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in Toronto. This does not include the numerous other provincial tournaments in which Canadian officials worked.

In addition, there was a strong Canadian officiating presence at the top level of the sport, with several homegrown officials working ATP and WTA events, an indication of the growing quality level of officials coming out of Canada. Training opportunities are held regularly, with 20 clinics run in six different provinces in 2015.

30 – WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO GROW THE SPORT

Tennis in Canada would not be in its current growing and positive state without the assistance, support, and leadership of our partners. The relationships with our corporate sponsors, donors, and provincial tennis associations proved immensely critical again in 2015 as they continue to evolve and become stronger.

Tennis Matters

The fundraising arm of Tennis Canada continued to expand in 2015, as an unprecedented 2,300 people across the country donated to the sport in Canada. This resulted in a record $4 million raised through the year for growing tennis throughout the nation at all levels. An encouraging aspect of the donated funds was that much of the new donor growth came from outside the biggest province of Ontario, showing the vast growth of the sport coast-to-coast and how fans come from every province.

Tennis Canada’s 125th anniversary gala was the biggest event of the season for Tennis Matters. Held at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal, the evening showcased the young, promising athletes of the National Training Centre. It was chaired by Quebec business leaders – National Bank president and CEO Louis Vachon, Rogers Quebec president Sylvain Roy, and Tennis Canada board member Marc Bibeau. A fabulous time was had by everyone in attendance, and in total the event raised a remarkable $195,000.

Tennis Canada would like to gratefully acknowledge all the donors who generously contributed between January 1 and December 31, 2015. For the complete donor listing, please click here.

Corporate Partnerships

In 2015, Tennis Canada solidified the relationship with its biggest partner by renewing Rogers through 2020 as the title sponsor for Rogers Cup. The five-year deal includes broadcast rights for Sportsnet for the tournaments as well, and an increased partnership on promoting and growing the tournaments in both Toronto and Montreal year-round. The broadcast deal also includes TVA Sports coming on as the French provider.

Toronto’s world-class venue received a new name in 2015 as well, as a 10-year naming rights agreement was made with Aviva Canada. The building was christened with its new title, Aviva Centre, in June. At the same time, Aviva also became a platinum partner of both the Toronto and Montreal Rogers Cup tournaments, and they will be a key partner for many years to come.

Sporting Life was another key addition in a big year, as the retail giant became the official retailer of Rogers Cup in Toronto as well as the official merchandise partner of Tennis Canada, a five-year deal which will encompass the entire organization.

Among the other important deals renewed in 2015 include Emirates Airline and US Open Series, both through 2019.

Provincial Tennis Associations

The efforts of the provincial tennis associations on the ground in their own communities is some of the most important work being done in Canada to grow the sport. In 2015, our partnerships with the PTAS were strengthened even further as we aligned our efforts and objectives. For the complete PTA listing, please click here.

40 – TENNIS AS A SPORT
FOR ALL AGES AND ABILITIES

One of the most exciting achievements in the history of Canadian wheelchair tennis occurred in 2015 – a moment that will be remembered for years to come.

On a sunny August afternoon at the University of Toronto Scarborough Tennis Centre, Philippe Bedard and Joel Dembe defeated American rivals Steve Baldwin and Jon Rydberg to capture the bronze medal at the Toronto 2015 Parapan American Games. The victory gave Canada its first-ever medal in wheelchair tennis and was the triumphant culmination of years of hard work.

Other significant developments took place in 2015 as well, including a sixth-place finish by the Canadian quad team at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup in Antalya, Turkey. The Birmingham National Wheelchair Tennis Championships were held in British Columbia for the first time since 2007, with the event a big success at the UBC Tennis Centre. Two first-time singles champions were crowned, Rob Shaw in the quad event and Maude Jacques in the women’s division, while Philippe Bedard won his third straight national championship in the men’s tournament.

From a development perspective, provincial and regional tournaments were held in BC, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan, with the purpose of these being to provide athletes with more competitive opportunities. The number of regular wheelchair tennis programs in Canada increased to 24, up from 20 a year previous. And in BC and Ontario, new junior programs were launched with an aim to produce more high performance players.

Currently, there are approximately 150 frequent wheelchair tennis players in Canada, located in seven provinces.

The most dominant player in Canadian tennis in 2015 arguably was a seniors athlete – none other than 84-year-old Rosemarie Asch. Coming home with three gold medals from the ITF Super Seniors World Individual Championships, Asch added to her already immense legacy as one of the most successful seniors tennis players in Canada.

Asch claimed the titles in all three events she could have entered in Umag, Croatia – women’s over-85 singles, women’s over-85 doubles, and over-85 mixed doubles. Her partners in doubles were fellow Canadian and seniors legend Lorne Main and Hungarian Erzsebet Szentirmay.

Back on home soil, national events were held with much success. Victoria was the new host of the Western Senior Indoor Championships, with over 185 participants from across Canada treated to one of the best organized senior indoor events ever held in Canada. The vibrant tennis community in Victoria truly embraced the whole tournament.

Showing the growth of seniors tennis, the Steve Sevens Senior National Championships in August boasted an unprecedented number of participants – just under 500. Five different clubs acted as host with over 800 matches played during the week. Next year’s national championships will take the event to a new market, as it will be hosted in Ottawa.

ADVANTAGE – ELEVATING PROFILE AND PRESTIGE THROUGH EVENTS

Rogers Cup presented by National Bank continues to be the greatest asset in Canadian tennis, as the tournaments bring the tennis world to Canada each year, immensely increasing awareness and providing funding for growing the sport across the country. In 2015, it was no exception as both events in Montreal and Toronto experienced fantastic weeks both on and off court.

New for 2015 was a Rogers Cup app, which incorporated both cities and both official languages. The app was available for iPhone and Android, and included pertinent information like live scores, draws, and news as well as interactive elements like photos, live streaming, and the fan passport. The top-downloaded sports app in Canada for one day of the tournament and Top 5 for much of the week, it was very successful in its first year.

Montreal

Rogers Cup in Montreal got off to a strong start with two major appearances leading into the first weekend. The official draw was held at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth with two-time Slam champion Stan Wawrinka in attendance, while the Mini Rogers Cup finals at Olympic Park were launched by Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Canadian junior star Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Athletes from other sports took part in the tournament as well, with a ball hockey game and soccer game taking place early in the week. Hockey stars included Alex Burrows, Lars Eller, and Marie-Philip Poulin while Gael Monfils and other ATP stars took on many Montreal Impact players in the soccer contest.

Fabienne Larouche, a well-known writer and producer in Quebec, acted as tournament spokesperson and spoke of her passion for tennis. Coupe Rogers also continued giving back to the local community by donating 15 cents per ticket sold to the food bank in Villeray-Parc extension district for a total of $31,000.

Andy Murray clinched his third Rogers Cup title, defeating world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in a blockbuster championship match. He was joined in the winner’s circle by Bob and Mike Bryan, who won the doubles crown for the fifth time, just squeezing out the triumph in a match tiebreaker over Canadian legend Daniel Nestor and partner Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Toronto

In Toronto, Rogers Cup kicked off with the official draw at the Hilton’s downtown location, with Canada’s own Genie Bouchard in attendance. While Bouchard ultimately lost in the first round, she also was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially rename the stadium Aviva Centre.

Pizzaville Free Community Weekend was one of the busiest yet, as over 26,000 fans entered the grounds for free to witness world-class tennis and take part in all the fun festivities. The Sportsnet Ball Hockey Challenge also featured a strong contingent of WTA stars, including Petra Kvitova, Jelena Jankovic, and Lucie Safarova, playing against hockey players like Jason Spezza and Peter Holland.

New to the site this year was the Tennis Canada Zone, a cozy and comfortable lounge area open to everyone. Featuring a large video board showing matches from Montreal and decorated in Canadian colours, the lounge was a popular place for visitors to sit back and relax.

Justine Henin was inducted into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame on Semifinal Saturday evening and spent two days at the tournament, visiting with Premium Series Club members, suite holders, and the media. A two-time former Rogers Cup champion, she was an excellent guest and the ceremony was very well-received.

Swiss Belinda Bencic was crowned the champion after Simona Halep retired in the third set of the final. It was a storybook run to the title for 18-year-old Bencic, who also ousted world No. 1 Serena Williams in the semifinals. A star was definitely born on the Aviva Centre courts! In doubles, popular American-Czech duo Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova claimed the title.

Canadian Events

In addition to Rogers Cup, Canada hosts numerous other professional, senior, wheelchair, and junior events each year which are all vital components to a healthy competitive schedule. Click here to access the complete list of champions for each of those tournaments.

Game – The “Next Generation” emerges from a strong structure

With the recent results and success of players like Raonic, Bouchard and Pospisil, the perception of Canadian tennis has changed globally. People are looking at Canada and wondering what the nation is doing right. The structure in place is being emulated in other emerging tennis countries, the events are being attended by a higher calibre group of players and the foundation is deemed to be solid and strengthening even further.

A big reason for this is the National Training Centre and junior national training programs that were put into place in 2007. The full-time NTC in Montreal and the three U14 programs in Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto are producing talent. That talent is being inspired by the older generation, as they are seeing firsthand it is possible to achieve a high level of success if you put in the work. The excitement level for this next generation is high.

At the end of the 2015 season, Canada had six juniors ranked inside the Top 40 in the world, including two in the Top 10. We also boast the two highest-ranked 15-year-olds in the world in Felix Auger-Aliassime and Bianca Andreescu. The list of their accomplishments in 2015 are numerous and, in many areas, historic. They include:

Canada captured the 2015 Junior Davis Cup title for the first time in the event’s 30-year history thanks to team members Felix Auger-Aliassime, Denis Shapovalov and Benjamin Sigouin.

Shapovalov and Auger-Aliassime also teamed up to win the doubles title at the Junior US Open.

Charlotte Robillard-Millette reached the Junior Australian Open quarter-finals in 2015 and reached a career-high junior ranking of No. 4 in the world.

Robillard-Millette also reached the quarter-finals at two professional Challenger events.

Auger-Aliassime became the first player born in the 2000s to have an ATP ranking at 14 years old and the youngest to qualify for a Challenger event in March. He went on to reach the quarter-finals at the Granby Challenger and catapulted his ranking to No. 742 in the world.

Andreescu became just the third Canadian to ever capture the U18 Orange Bowl title and she did it at just 15 years old. This came just a year after she won the U16 Orange Bowl in 2014.

Auger-Aliassime became the youngest-ever champion at the Eddie Herr International, capturing the U18 crown in December.

Sigouin also had success at Eddie Herr, reaching the semifinals and narrowly missing out on producing an all-Canadian final.

Shapovalov swept both the U18 indoor and outdoor junior nationals this year and also reached the final of a Grade 1 junior event in the summer.

Andreescu reached the final of her first pro event at the Gatineau Challenger tournament.

The hopes for this new wave are high. They are young, driven and have the talent to do big things. This is in addition to the more recently graduated group which includes Brayden Schnur, Francoise Abanda, Filip Peliwo and Carol Zhao, who all still have much more to achieve in their young careers.

To continue supporting this next generation, two significant staffing additions were made to complement the structure. Nicolas Perrotte from the French Tennis Federation was hired to lead the physical development for the Montreal NTC and the three regional centres. He has worked with all the best French players over his career including Grand Slam champions Amelie Mauresmo and Marion Bartoli as well as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon. Also, Dr. Jason Vescovi was contracted to lead the Sport Science and Sport Medicine program. He has worked with several other national sport organizations in the past and will work to integrate excellence into the program, support players and coaches, and develop tennis-specific research to create a competitive advantage for Canadian tennis athletes.

The players in the system are receiving the best possible training and support and the results they are achieving speak volumes that things are headed in the right direction. The future is indeed very bright.

OFFICIATING

GEORGE RUSTSCHEFF EXCELLENCE AWARD: EDITH LEMAY (QC)
ON-COURT OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD: JESSE GREENE (ON)
ERICA GILBERT OFF-COURT OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD: RANDY STILL (ON)
ROOKIE OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD: NAITONG CHEN (BC)

BUILDING TENNIS COMMUNITIES (BTC)

BTC ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: GRANBY, QC (NORMAN ROTHSCHING)
BTC COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR: OAKRIDGE, AB (BERNICE KITCHEN)
BTC COMMUNITY PARTNER OF THE YEAR AWARD: SOCIETY FOR KIDS AT TENNIS (SY SILVERBERG)
BTC TENNIS FRIENDLY COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR: SAULT STE MARIE, ON (BILL WATTS)